Chair.



PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

A.v G. BYLBS.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED un. 5:1907.

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PATENIED FEB.k 25, 1908.

A. G. EYLES.

CHAIR..

ArPLIaATIoN FILED APR.5.1907.

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PATNTED PEB.- 25, 190s.

A. G. BYLES.

CHAIR. .APPLIGATION FILED APR5. 1907.

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PATENTED FEB. v25, 1908.

A. G. EYLES.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED' APR. 5.1901.

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ANTON G. EYLES, OF PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.

CHAIR.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

i Application led April 51907- Serial No. 366.531.

To all whom it may concern.' i

Be it known that I, ANTON G. EYLEs, a citizen of the -United States, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to chairs provided with adjustable backs; and my primary object is to provideimprovements pertaining to the adjustment of chair-backs.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevational view of a chair constructed in accordance with my improvements; Fig. 2, a broken front elevational view of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the-same, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4, a broken section similar to Fig. 3, but showing the foot rest in its extended position; Fig. 5, a broken section as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 4 Fig. 6, a rear elevational view of the improved chair; Fig. 7, a vertical section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. l, with the upholstering of the back of the chair removed, however; Fig. 8, a broken section taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. 6 and show ing a detail of one of the pivotal connections of the back of the chair and the relation thereto of a lock-actuating lever employed in connection with the back adjustment; and Fig. 9, a section taken as indicated at line 9 of Fi l.

In the construction illustrated, A repre,- sents the frame of a chair having side-members A1 formed with arms A2; A3, seat-supporting and guide-forming cleats applied to the inner surfaces of the side-members A1; A1, a bottom connecting the side-members A1 A5, a front cross-member connected with the front ends of the cleats A3 and with the front edge of the bottom A4; A3, a cross-member connecting the rear legs which form a part of the side-members A1; B, a seat shown as removably supported on the cleats A3; C, a back shown as comprising al frame C1 .and an upholstered portion O2 supported thereon; O3, a slideconnected with aguide formed in the frame O1; C1, a brace connecting the slide O3 with the cross-member A3; C5 a locking pawl for the slide O3 which is oined by a link C6 to a crank shaft C7 which is equipped at its outer end with an actuating lever C8 D, a foot-rest carried by slide-bars D1 which are joined by rods D2 to levers D3 pivoted to swing in horizontal plane immediately above the plane of the bottom A1 and D'1 a crank shaft equipped with an actuating arm D5, the crank portion of said shaft being connected by rods D3 with the levers D3 which serve to actuate the footrest.

The frame A of the chair may be of any suitable design and construction. As shown in Fig. 5, the front cross-niember A5 of the frame is provided with slots a in which the slide-bars D1 move; and extending inwardly from the slots a are narrower slots a1 through which the rods D2 work when the foot-rest is projected. The cross-member A6 is equipped with a pivot block c3 with which the lower end of the brace-member C1 is joined by a pivot a3.

The seat B comprises a frame b having slats b1; and an upholstered portion b3 connected with the upper portion of the frame and having its intermediate portion supported upon springs b3 which rest upon the slats b1. The slats b1 are received by recesses b1 which are formed in the upper edges of the cleats A3, as shown in Fig. 9. The upholstering covering is extended over the front edgepiece b3 of the seatframe; and connected with the lower edge portion of the relatively narrower front edge-piece b5 is a rearwardly declining member b3 beneath which is afforded a space 197 for the foot-rest in the housed condition thereof.

As clearly appears from Figs. 3, 6 and 7, the frame C1 of the back is provided along its longitudinal center with a guide c in which the slide C3 is adapted to move, the lateral edges of the slide O3 being equipped with tongues c1 which move in grooves o2 with which the sideemembers of the guide c are provided. The slide O3 is connected by `a spring c3 with the lower cross-member ce1 of the back-frame C1, whereby the tendency of the slide C3 is to move to the lower end of its guide and thereby elevate the back to its standing position.l The-slide O3.is equipped with a series of studs or locking shoulders o5 which are preferably arranged lin an inclined line as indicated in Fig. 7, whereby any one of said studs is adapted to be engaged by a notch or locking shoulder c with which the pawl C5 is provided. The pawl C5 is supported on a pivot c7 carried by one of the sidemembers of the guide c of the back-frame, and the upper free end of the pawl is provided with an inclined or beveled surface o3 adapted to ride over a stud c5 during the adjustment of the back. The lower end'of the pawl C5 is joined by a spring c to one of the side-members AC10 of'the back-frame. The link C is pivotallyjoined to the lower end of the pawl C5, and the lower end of said link is connected with a crank 011 on the inner end of the crank shaft C7. The crank-shaft C7, as shown in Fig. 8, extends through a bearing C12 with which the lower cross-member c4 .of the backframe is equipped, and also extends throughv a tubular pivot 013 which joins the adjacent side-member C10 of the back frame to the adjacent side-member A1 of the main frame of the chair. The actuating arm C8 of the crank shaft C7 lies normally in a substantially hori- Zontal forwardly-projecting position outside of one of the side-members A1 of the frame. This corresponds with the locking position of the pawl C5. At the opposite side of the. chair the lower portion of the side-member 01 thereat is connected with the corresponding side-member A1 of the main frame by a pivot'c11. The upper portion of the brace C4 is pivotally connected by a hinge 015 with the upper portion of the slide C3.

The foot-rest D comprises a supporting member d which occupies normally a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, and a rearwardly declining portion d1 equipped with upholstering d2 and adapted to lie normally beneath the member t6 of the seat. The upholstering d2 is extended over the upper portion of the front surface of the member d; and the front surface of the member d is otherwise ornamented or carved, so that when the foot-rest is in the housed position a finished appearance results and the foot-rest forms to all appearances a part of the upholstering of the chair.

The foot-rest is of short enough length to be received between the front legs of the chair as shown in Fig. 2. The member d extends beneath the slide-bars D1 and the intermediate portion of said member is connected by hinges d3 which are applied to the inner surface of the member d and to the uper surfaces of the front portions of the bars D1. The front endsl of the bars D1 are beveled or inclined forwardly and upwardly as indicated at d1, so that the foot-rest may assume the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the downward extension of the member d beneath the hinges bears against said beveled surfaces. The lower edge of the member d is equipped with a cam member di which is normally received within a loopform cam member d with which the front cross-member A5 of the main frame is equipped at its central portion. The lcam or loop d6 inclines downwardly and forwardly somewhat, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The'slide-bars D1, as has been indicated, project through the slots a in the front crossmember A5, andthe rear portions of said bars lie beneath the cleats A3 and rest upon the upper surfaces of the levers D3. Said bars D1 are provided on their upper surfaces with slots (Z7 into which project guide-plates or bars d8 which are applied to the inner surfaces of the cleats A3 and depend beneath the lower edges of said cleats. The rods D2 are secured at their front ends to the inner lateral edges of the bars D and have their rear ends connectedl by pivots Z9 with the free ends of the levers D3. The op osite ends of the levers D3 are connected y pivots d10 with the bottom A1 of the chair-frame. The rods D6 maybe formed of one member having its central portion wrapped about an offset cZ11 in the crank portion of the shaft D1. The rods diverge forwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, and their front ends are joined by pivots i12 with the intermediate portions of the levers D3. The crank shaft D4 is journaled in the rear portions of theside members A1 of the main frame at some distance above the plane of the slide-bars D1, so that thecranked intermediate portion of the shaft normally depends downwardly and rearwardly somewhat from the axis of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 3, the dimensions being such that the crank-shaft will be housed between the rear legs of the chair when the foot-rest is in the folded position, and will swing forwardly over the rear portion of the bottom A4 of the chair When'the foot-rest is extended as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9. The actuating arm D5 lies normally in a substantially horizontal position on the opposite side of the chair from that on which the actuating lever C8 is located. The arm or lever B5 normally extends forward as indicated in Fig.v 1.

From the foregoing detailed description the operation will be readily understood.

l/Vhena person, seated in the chair, desires to give to the back a greater inclination than it normally possesses in a standing osition, he may do so by swinging the lever 58 downwardly and releasing the pawl@5 from its engagement with the uppermost one of the studs c5, and, thereupon, by leaning back in the chair, the chair-back will be depressed, the slide C3 moving up in its guide; and when the lever C8 is released, the pawl C5 will engage another one of the studs c5, thereby locking the chair-back in a new position. In the reverse operation,vthe spring c3 serves to depress the slide C3, thereby swinging the back to its normal standing position. When it is desired to extend the foot-rest this may be accomplished by swinging the lever D5 upwardly, and thereby moving the levers D3 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 9 and projecting the foot-rest. During the initial movement of the foot-rest in the projecting operation, the cams d5, d operate to tilt the foot-rest from its standing position to the inclined position shown in Fig. 4, inwhich position the foot-board d1 inclines rearwardly and upwardly in position to Vcomfortably lsupport the feet of the occupant of the chair.

During the final portion of the return movement of the foot-rest, which is accomplished by actuating the lever I)5 in the opposite direction, the cams d5 d serve to restore the foot-rest to its original standing position. lt will be observed that in this movement, the cam d5 enters the loop-form cam (ZG and impinges against the lower edge of the cro/ssmember A5 of the main frame, which therefore serves as al cam-member. Experience has demonstrated that in a chair constructed in accordance with my improvements the back and foot-rest may be adjusted. by a person occupying the chair with very slight effort, and an exceedingly comfortable chair is provided by the construction.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no undue limitation is to be understood therefrom.

What l regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ln a chair, the combination of a main frame, a swinging back, a movable member serving to actuate said back, a spring connected with and serving to actuate said member, and a brace pivotally connected. with said member and with the main frame.

2. In a chair, the combination of a main frame, a swinging back provided with a longitudinal guide, a slide connected with said guide, a spring connected with the back and with said slide and tending normally to depress the slide, and a brace connected with said slide and said main frame, whereby depression of the slide under the action of its spring serves to elevate the back.

3. ln a chair, the combination of a main frame, a swinging chair-back, a ivot connecting said back and frame, a sliffe connected with said back, a brace connecting said slide and main frame, and a slide-locking device having a pivoted actuating lever with I the pivot thereof co-aXial with the pivot of the chair-back.

4. In a chair, the combination of a main frame, a swinging back, a spring-actuated back-actuating member, a brace connecting said member with the main frame, a locking pawl for said member, and a pawl-actuating shaft connected with the main frame.

5. In a chair, the combination of a main frame, a back, pivots connecting the back with the main frame, one of said pivots being tubular, a crank-shaft extending through said tubular pivot and equipped with an. actuating arm, a locking pawl actuated by said crank-shaft, a slide connected with said back and equipped with locking shoulders coacting with said locking pawl, and a brace connecting said slide with said main frame.

6. In a chair, the combination of a main frame, a pivoted back, a spring-held slide connected therewith and equipped with a series of locking shoulders, a spring-held pawl connectedto said back and equipped with a locking shoulder normally engaging a locking shoulder of said slide, means for actuating said pawl to release the slide, and a brace connecting the slide with the main frame.

7. ln a chair, the combination of a main frame, a pivoted back equipped with a central longitudinal guide, a slide movable in said guide and equipped with a series of locking shoulders, a spring connected with said slide and with the lower portion of said back, a locking pawl, actuating means for the locking pawl, and a brace pivotally connected at its upper end with said slide and pivotally connected at its lower end with the main frame.

In witness whereof I have signed the above application at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois.

ANTON G. EYLES. In presence of- RALPH A. SCHAEFER, J. H. LANDES. 

